Automatically-locking hand-bag.



I. L. 0. II I. E. NOEL.

AUTOMATICALLY LOCKING HAND BAG.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I8. l9l5.

1,223,555, Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

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.PATENT JOSEPH LOUIS CYRILLE NOEL AND JOSEPH EMILE NOEL, O15 OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA.

AUTOMATIGALLY-LGCKING HAND-BAG.

Application filed October is, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, Josnri-r Louis QYRILLE Noiin and Josrrn EMILE North, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, and residents of the city of Ottawa, Province of ()ntario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatically-Locking Hand Bags, of which the following is the specification.

This invention relates to improvements in hand bags or purses. The hand at present largely used is extremely liable to swing or be otherwise opened and has been found in many cases to attract the unwelcome attention of pickpockets, and one of the objects of the present invention is to render the hand bag or purse automati ally self locking and incapable of being tampered with when hung from a chain or other suspending member. Further objects are to simplify the construction and reduce the number of working parts generally to adapt the several parts to better perform the functions required of them.

l i ith the above objects in view the invention consists essentially of the improved construction of hand bag or purse particularly described and set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings forming part of the same.

In the drawing, v

lhe figure is a fragmentary elevation of a hand bag embodying the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, A represents a hand bag of any usual type provided with angle reinforcing members 10 along the up per edges, such angle members being hinged at 11 and adapted to be opened under the action of the spring 12 mounted on the hinged pin.

Mounted on the upper angle member 10 intermediate of the length thereof is a catch member B comprising a Z-shaped lever 13 pivotally mounted intermediate of its length between the jaws 1 1 and adapted to engage at one end with the orifices 15 and 16 which are adapted to register when the angle members 10 are in closed engagement.

The other offset end of the lever 13 terminates in a finger piece 17 and is adapted to be normally pressed upwardly by the spiral soring 18 located therebelo-W, the said lever Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 24%, 1917.

Serial No. 56,562.

being housed in a casing 19 rigidly mounted on the outer face of the upper angle member.

Aquidistantly spaced on opposite sides of the catch member 13 are a pair of catch members C adapted to be actuated when the bag is suspended from the chain 20 or other hand grip.

lhe members C each comprise a crank member 21 pivotally mounted on the casing 22 and adapted to be retracted by a spiral spring 23, the protruding ends of the said crank members being rigidly attached to the ends of the U-shaped links 24 connected to the ends of the chain.

The arm of the crank member 21 is designed to engage the slots 25 in the angle members 10 in a manner to be made clear hereafter.

In using the bag it will be clear that when it is suspended from the chain 20 the arms of the crank members 21 will engage the slots 25 in the members 10 so that it is not possible to open the bag while in this position, even though the Z-shaped lever 13 has been manually actuated to disengage one end of the same from the orifices 15 and 16 in the members 10.

When the bag has been laid down, as for instance when in stores, it will be seen that the spiral springs 23 cause the engaging arms of the crank members 21 to be withdrawn from engagement with. the slots 25 so that when the lever 13 has been actuated through the medium of the finger grip 17 the purse may be opened.

In a purse of this nature it is quite impossible for pick-pockets to open the same when in use since the members 0 are automatically locked when the bag is suspended from the hand of the owner and it is only possible to gain access to the bag when the tension on the chain 20 has been released.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently= In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH LOUIS CYRILLE NOEL. JOSEPH EMILE NOEL.

having registering slots therein, pivoted catch members movable into said slots to lock the bag lips together adapted to be automatically actuated when the bag is suspended from the hand grip, and resilient means for Witnesses: unlocking the catch members when the ten- JAMES MITCHELL, sion on the hand grip has been released. D. O. A. RAYL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

